


Sweet Thing

by roebling



Series: B.A.P Shortfic [2]
Category: B.A.P, K-pop
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-20
Updated: 2012-10-20
Packaged: 2017-11-16 17:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roebling/pseuds/roebling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ice cream is a universal panacea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet Thing

**Author's Note:**

> (Second in a series of short, canon-based, gen B.A.P fic. Not beta-ed or edited.)

Dance practice is finally over. Yongguk, Himchan, and the maknaes are already out the door. Daehyun drops to the floor. His thighs are sore, his wrists ache, and he’s sweaty and disgusting. Par for the course, actually. 

As bad as he feels, though, he winces in sympathy when he sees Youngjae slumped against the wall. There’s a dark purple bruise the size of an egg on his calf from where Junhonggie — who is a good dancer but who is still getting used to his longer limbs — had accidentally kicked him a few days before. The shadows under his eyes are dark, and his cheekbones look too sharp. Dancing doesn’t come easily to Youngjae, and he works very hard not to be a liability to the group.

“You okay?” Daehyun asks.

Youngjae doesn’t complain very much, and he never minds working hard, but he’s still only eighteen. He nods. “Fine,” he says.

“Hmmm.” Daehyun doesn’t quite believe him. “Maybe we should ask Yongguk hyung to ask if we can have the day off tomorrow …”

Youngjae frowns. “No,” he says. “I don’t need a day off.”

Daehyun rolls his eyes. “Well, I could use one,” he says under his breath, but he knows it’s no use. Youngjae isn’t going to ask for a break no matter how badly he needs one. For that matter, neither is Daehyun, even though he does think about how nice it would be to have some time — maybe even an entire week — with no schedules and absolutely nothing to do. He would sleep and … well, mostly he would sleep.

It’s no use wishing for the impossible, though. Daehyun pushes himself to his feet. A week’s not going to happen, but they do have the rest of the afternoon off, until they have to meet with the stylist noonas this evening, and he’s going to make the most of it. He grabs his bag. 

Youngjae is still leaning against the wall.

“Come on,” Daehyun says. “It’s time to go.”

Youngjae shakes his head. “I might stay a little longer.”

Daehyun frowns. “Why?” 

Youngjae shrugs. “I don’t really have that middle section down yet.”

Daehyun rolls his eyes. “That’s why we’re practicing the rest of the week, dummy. Ah, Youngjae, you’re going to make me crazy! Let’s go.” 

He grabs Youngjae’s arm and pulls him to his feet. Youngjae slumps against him for a second — warm, comfortable weight — and then stands up straight. “Fine,” he says, pulling on his sweatshirt. “Maybe I can come back after …”

“No,” Daehyun says. “Geeze, you’re so tired you’re about to fall over. Let’s go home and rest.”

Youngjae just sighs and follows Daehyun downstairs.

The other are waiting for them outside. Junhonggie is clumsily doing ollies over the curb. Daehyun sometimes wonders if maybe he is really a robot. He doesn’t understand how anyone made of flesh and blood can have so much energy.

Youngjae is quiet on the way home, even as Himchan and Yongguk talk animatedly about some movie and Junhong and Jongup joke with each other. Daehyun gets it. At some point, for each of them, it gets to be too much. The moods don’t last that long, and it may be that they’re inevitable. 

It doesn’t mean he can’t do anything about it, though.

“Hyung,” he calls. 

Yongguk looks over his shoulder.

“Youngjae and I are going to go to the convenience store,” Daehyun says, sliding his arm through Youngjae’s before the other vocalist has a chance to escape.

“Oh,” Himchan says, “get me a soda, okay?”

The convenience store is a few blocks away from their dorm. It’s a warm, sunny afternoon, and it makes for a pleasant walk. School is in session, so the streets are empty except for some older aunties and a few mothers pushing babies in carriages.

“Himchan hyung didn’t even give me any money,” Daehyun mutters, looking through his wallet. “What a cheapskate.”

Youngjae is usually game for a chance to make fun of their hyung, but today he says nothing, just nods a little, eyes downcast.

The clerk at the store knows them, and waves when they come in. Daehyun gets Himchan’s soda. He gets one for Yongguk too, and candy bars for the maknaes. Manager hyung will give him the money back later. 

He takes a long time deciding which ice cream he wants. Vanilla bars are always a solid option, but sundae cones are one of Daehyun’s favorite too — depending on whether or not he’s in the mood for chocolate. Then again, there the exotic treats: sweet potato ice cream and tomato popsicles.

“Are you going to take all day?” Youngjae asks. He’s frowning, and his arms are crossed over his chest, but the annoyed, playful tone of his voice is a good sign he’s feeling better.

“Hey,” Daehyun says. “It’s a big decision.” He takes ice cream very seriously. “What are you getting, anyway?”

Youngjae shakes his head. “I’m fine,” he says.

“You have to get something,” Daehyun says. 

“I’m fine,” Youngjae says emphatically.

Daehyun rolls his eyes. Youngjae sometimes takes this diet he’s been on too seriously. He’s lost a bunch of weight, and he looked fine to begin with anyway in Daehyun’s opinion. “I’m getting you something whether you like it or not.”

“I don’t want anything,” Youngjae says, teeth grit.

“I don’t care,” Daehyun says. Annoyed, he grabs two strawberry crunch bars and throws them in the basket.

Youngjae is silent and annoyed while Daehyun pays, sighing and scowling. Outside, though, he accepts one of the ice cream bars when Daehyun hands it to him. Satisfied, Daehyun opens his own.

Strawberry crunch bars aren’t his very favorite, but they’re classic. It was, he thinks, a solid choice. 

Youngjae opens his and takes a bite.

“I thought you didn’t want it,” Daehyun says.

“Well it would be stupid to let it melt everywhere,” Youngjae says testily.

They walk back towards the dorm in silence, eating their ice cream. It does melt a little and run stickily down Daehyun’s hand to his wrist. They throw away the sticks and wrappers in the garbage can on the corner of their block. 

“Don’t you feel better now?” Daehyun asks.

Youngjae nods.

Daehyun grins, satisfied. “Ah, Youngjae, you should listen to me more often. Ice cream makes everything better.”

“Maybe for you,” Youngjae mutters. Then he sighs, deeply. “Sorry,” he says. “I’m just tired, I guess.” He rubs the toe of his sneaker against the ground.

They’re silent as the elevator arrives. Youngjae pushes the button for their floor.

“I shouldn’t complain,” he says, then, so quietly it’s almost to himself. “I knew it would be like this. I wanted it — I _want_ it.”

“Me too,” Daehyun says. “That doesn’t mean you can’t wish it was easier sometimes.” 

Youngjae nods. “I know, but …”

“It’s hard for me,” Daehyun says. “When I first joined, I was so far behind you guys I didn’t think I’d ever catch up.”

“But you did,” Youngjae says, just a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“Because you helped me,” Daehyun says. Sometimes he wonders if Youngjae forgets how much he helped Daehyun those first months. Youngjae had been the most helpful of all, even though he’d been the one with the most to lose. “If it’s hard, we might as well help each other, right?”

“Right,” Youngjae says, glancing up. “You’re right. Thanks, Daehyunnie.” He smiles that warm, soft smile that Daehyun likes so much.

Then they’re at the dorm, and there’s music playing and Himchan is chiding them for taking so long to come back with his soda, but before they go in and everything starts again Daehyun takes Youngjae’s hand and gives it one, quick squeeze.


End file.
